Winter in Storybrooke
by Akiho4
Summary: Seasonal spirit Jack Frost was supposed to remain impartial; never siding with either villains or heroes. After being cursed by the Evil Queen, things turn out to be a lot more complicated. His long past with a certain antiquarian and the new friendship with the Savior's son may cause more trouble for Jack than he imagined. Will he be able to stay unbiased?
1. A Visitor

**Author's note:**

 _Okay, so I'm usually not the type of person to read or write stories with OC's, but I couldn't get rid of this idea in my head and I decided to give it a shot. Some of you may associate Jack Frost with the Dreamworks' movie 'Rise of the Guardians' and even though I might use some elements (for example behavioral features) it isn't my intention to make a crossover with the movie. This story will mostly be based on the fairytale version of Jack Frost. In other words; the Eastern Bunny, Santa Claus, the Tooth fairy and Sandman don't exist (cause really, for them to be real would be impossible right? xD). There isn't much known about Jack Frost in the fairytales, so it will take some juggling of imagination and resources, which is why feedback and suggestions are very appreciated! Please enjoy reading and let me know what you think! :)_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Once Upon a Time**

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Chapter 1 – A visitor

Being disturbed during a calm sleep was bad. Being disturbed during a nice dream was worse. But being disturbed when one had had practically no sleep at all was by far the worst. Unfortunately for a certain blonde teenager his short moment of slumber was disrupted not too gently by a shaking hand and a pressing voice.

"Jack? Jack! Jeez, what do I need to get you on your feet? A glass of cold water?"

As tempting as that sounded the teenager choose the alternative and opened his eyes lazily only to meet the two light green orbs that belonged to the tall and slender figure of Ruby. The young and (if he had to believe the other town's people) attractive waitress of Granny's Café was standing next to the dinner table, bending over said table in order to reach for his shoulder and forcefully wake him from his nap. Still not quite satisfied with being awake, Jack shifted a bit and squeezed his eyes shut to block out the blinding sunlight coming through the glass windows of the Café. Ugh, these benches really weren't fit for sleeping. His back was killing him.

"Hé, freeloader-kid! Put some effort to it and clean up your mess. As much as I appreciate your indecent break-in and unpaid overnight stay, customers with actual money will be coming in soon and I need no hobo's to welcome them."

A wet towel made contact with his face, waking him instantly and as he shot up right he recognized the speaker immediately. Ruby's grandma – generally known as Granny – was vigorously wiping the counter clean with another cloth; not even paying him a look.

Jack rubbed his eyes and then smirked a bit.

"I love how welcome you make me feel, Granny," he said mischievous. "That's why I prefer this place above all other inns."

The wiping stopped momentarily and the older woman rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh, just get out already!"

He chuckled and sent a wink to Ruby. The brown haired girl curved her red lips into a smile in reply and handed him his backpack, subtly hinting that Granny was serious about the whole 'getting-out' drama. His chuckles made room for a tired sigh as he shove off the bench, stood and stretched. A few cracks convinced him once more that he really needed a better sleeping place. Though, he should not complain. As harsh as Granny may seem, she did let him sleep in the Café without demanding payment. Of course he got kicked out in the morning – just like today – but at least she tolerated his break-ins to a certain extend and choose not to involve the sheriff (which Jack was more than grateful for).

"You know, I wouldn't need to crash in the Café if you offered me to sleep in one of those dust-covered unoccupied beds you have in the lodges."

Granny shot him a glare and wrung the cloth out in a bucket of hot soapy water.

"Nice try, kid," she crushed his suggestion without mercy. "No payment, no luxury. Besides as of today the lodges are far from dusty."

The last statement raised Jack's eyebrows. "Really?" he mocked. "Other than spiders, you haven't had a visitor in years. Why bother to clear away the cobwebs? Those poor spi-…"

"We have a guest."

The rude interruption from Ruby was missed by the teenager as soon as those four little words found meaning in his mind. A guest. In Storybrooke?

"A young woman for Boston showed up in the inn yesterday evening," continued the waitress while combing her long brown hair with her fingers. "Apparently she is going to stay for a least a week."

"Not that she will find anything interesting to do in this godforsaken place," added Granny with a hint of bitterness. "But as long as she pays up, you won't be hearing from me."

The comments were followed by small bickering between the grandmother and -daughter, but all Jack could concentrate on was the new development at hand. A visitor from outside Storybrooke. Had it really been twenty-eight years since? Somewhere he must have lost count. But if it really was her, then maybe…?

"So… why are you here?" Ruby interrupted his thought, bringing the conversation to a whole new topic. "Did Mr. Gold do something to you?"

Oh, yeah, there was the other reason he loved crashing in Granny's Café; they _usually_ didn't ask questions. What was up with all that hatred against Mr. Gold anyway? He wasn't that bad. Well, he was _bad_ , but it seriously depended on how you interacted with the man. Like anyone else the antiquarian had his own motives and ways to deal with life. His were just slightly deviating from common. The upbringing of the man did however present Jack with a new objective for his empty agenda.

The teen grabbed the jacket he had been using as a blanket and put it on. "No everything's fine," he assured in a flat tone. "Just didn't feel like staying there."

"You really ought to find a different job, kid," Granny commented while pointing the wet cloth at him for a dramatic effect. "That man is vicious. Mark my words, this generosity of his is only pretend. As soon as he loses value in you, he'd step on you as if you never existed."

Well, good thing he hasn't done so in the past twenty-eight years, Jack thought grimacing as he swung the backpack over his right shoulder. Even after all those years he still had trouble grasping just how ingenious the Queen's curse truthfully was. To think that everyone believed he was a high school drop-out with no fixed home or work for the past twenty-eight years was incredible. Of course, none of them realized it had been that long, heck even he had been surprised at how fast time had flown by.

"That may be, but for now it's all I got," Jack stated simply, no longer in the mood to have a happy morning conversation now that his mind was tricked by other matters. Luckily for him the door rattled and the first customer entered the Café. One glance was enough to identify the figure of Sheriff Graham. Ugh, tough luck.

"Look, I really should get going," he hastily ended. "Thanks as always and I'll be sure to stop by later today to taste one of those delicious chocolate frosted doughnuts." With his backpack gripped tightly against his shoulder he waved goodbye and turned on his heels. He countered the raised eyebrow of the Sheriff with a short nod, before quickly slipping past the man and disappearing through the front door.

Vicious or not, right now Rumpelstiltskin was definitely more interesting to hang around with then any of those amnesia-plagued fairytale characters.

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 **A.**


	2. The Savior

**Author's note:**

 _Well, here it is: chapter 2! Special thanks for the reviews, fav's and follow's, those were a real motivation for me to continue this story :D So, for the plot I decided to more or less follow the story-line of the series, however since Jack Frost isn't part of the original character list there will be some changes here and there, for example some new scenes (and maybe flashback's). In all cases I'll try to stick to true characteristics of the personalities as much as possible._

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Once Upon A Time**

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Chapter 2 – The Savior

The walk from Granny's Café to the old pawn shop wasn't long and now that Jack was fully awake the morning sun actually was welcoming. Deep in thought Jack followed the main road on auto-pilot. He had walked this exact path so many times, he didn't even need to look to know where he was going. To the other town's people the relation between Mr. Gold and Jack consisted of merely employment with room and board. In reality the situation was slightly more complicated, which resulted often in misunderstandings by outsiders (for example Granny and the Sheriff). You see, Jack had grown accustomed to the eccentric behavior of the antiquarian long before any of them were sent to this strange realm and although he had been the man's partner in more than one occasion, he had never actually sided with him. Which was both good and bad. Good because Rumpelstiltskin thought of him as an individual asset instead of a pawn, bad since Jack lacked commitment thus making him a possible threat to whatever evil scheme the Dark One was plotting. Somewhat of a love-hate thing. Unfortunately none of the town's people remembered any of this (if they even knew to begin with). They instantly jumped to the conclusion that Jack was a rebellious teen and Mr. Gold neglected his responsibility to watch over the teen.

Actually, though he probably would never openly admit this, Jack liked talking with the old man. Dark One or not, the man was as sharp as they get. Always planning two steps ahead of his enemies and mingling in whatever business was enveloping to assure possible future interventions. The way Rumpelstiltskin imposed deals to secure his own profit in matters intrigued Jack strongly. Compared to the other fairytale characters, the seasonal spirits weren't divided into heroes or villains. The weather did not get influenced by the true nature of the heart. As a result the seasonal spirits had to remain impartial to avoid conflicts. After all, how could one let the sun shine for only part of the enchanted forest? Or drop rain on just the island of Neverland and not the sea surrounding it? No since the weather was unbiased, the seasonal spirits who created the four different periods of the year also had to remain unattached. For Jack there was only one problem with this principle. Since he could not choose sides, he lacked the ability to bond and trust. The reason he found himself comfortable around Rumpelstiltskin was because the man shared those faults to a certain extent and thus never expected Jack to sincerely commit to anything. And though both of them possessed the awful habit of self-centeredness, there was one person that claimed their attention. If only that person was still with them…

Upon entering the pawn shop the bell hanging above the door jangled and the familiar scent of the antiquary entered Jack's nostrils. The blonde strode leisurely forward till he reached the counter, planted his elbows on the surface and rested his chin in his open palms.

"So… I heard some interesting news this morning," he casually started the conversation.

The slightly grey haired owner standing in front of him didn't look up from the administer, but acknowledge Jack's presence with a small nod.

"Indeed you have," he responded. "Things will finally take a turn. It won't be long now."

"I'm guessing you somehow had a hand in bringing her here?" Jack grinned, while peaking at the book Rumpelstiltskin was writing in. Mostly scribbles of numbers and paychecks.

"Quite the contrary," the man argued, locking eyes for a short moment. He dropped the pen before turning around and opening a cabinet behind the counter. "It seems the mayor's son took matters into his own hand and swiped a credit card from sweet miss Blanchard to hop on a bus to the fine city of Boston."

As a first reaction Jack's face showed surprise, however he soon made room for a smirk. "Seems like Henry finally picked up some useful skills."

"Not sure Regina will agree to that," was the flat response.

The antiquarian was shifting some books on the shelve in the cabinet, but then came across the object of his search. It was a white envelope, several years old, which had been opened before. Jack tried to read the name of the addressee, only both sides were blank.

"In the boy's defense, he did have a legit reason for his fieldtrip," Rumpelstiltskin said and handed Jack the envelope.

The teen lifted an eyebrow at the comment, but instead of asking questions he accepted the seemingly important paper holder and unfolded the letter that it held. Quickly his dark blue eyes scanned the contents, with each written word feeling more thrill now that he started to understand the events leading up to the arrival of their special visitor.

"Interesting," he defined when he was finished. "Henry; adopted son of our lovable Queen, yet blood-related to the one and only Savior of Storybrooke… That's genially cruel."

"Well, I never intended on things to be pleasant," the older man encountered with a satisfied smile on his lips. "I just did what was needed to get what we want and this, laddie, _is_ going to help us get just that."

"Never expected anything else," Jack said while mimicking Rumple's smile. He pushed himself away from the counter and stretched his back for a bit. "Don't count on me sleeping somewhere else tonight," he added. "My back and I have agreed to some suitable place to crash for the time-being."

That said, Jack walked past the cunning man to the back room of the shop. Although Jack's own room was upstairs, he simply dropped his backpack in a corner and reached for an apple in the fruit basket standing on the only table of the room. Breakfast had to wait a little longer. Right now a little chat with his favorite person in town had priority. If he was quick, he could meet up with Henry before school time.

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 **A.**


	3. Operation Cobra

**Author's note**

 _A third chapter already :) I don't actually write on a regular basis, but I'll try to update at least once a week. For anyone who has opinions about the storyline, suggestions are welcome!_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Once Upon A Time**

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Chapter 3 – Operation Cobra

When Jack didn't spot Henry near the bus station he knew something was up. So, instead of searching around depending on sheer luck, he went ahead, knowing Henry would sooner or later show up at the school entrance. Sneaking past miss Blanchard's watchful eye, Jack installed himself behind the brick wall left of the main stairs at the front of the building. From there he was able to not only keep an eye on the teachers that swarmed the place, but also spot Henry the minute he entered the schoolyard.

Little before time Jack's waiting finally paid off, only not in the way he suspected. He actually noticed the tall blond woman before Henry was in sight of vision. Seeing the two walk together, it wasn't hard to believe they were blood-related, though Henry clearly did have some features that belonged to his dad (wherever or whoever that person was). What surprised Jack the most was the interaction between the two. Henry was gleaming with joy and the woman – uhm Emma Swan – seemed pretty content with it, while she certainly must have experienced some resistance from Regina. Even if Regina wasn't the Evil Queen, she was still the legal guardian of Henry and gifted with a rather strong protectiveness of the boy.

"I knew you'd believe me!"

Henry practically jumped when he shouted those words, but his biological mother looked more puzzled than accepting.

"I never said I did…" she countered with a faint smile.

"Why else would you be here?" *

And Jack could honestly agree with the kid that there was no other reason. Well, aside from the fact that the Savior was supposed to break the curse and she therefore had to show up sooner or later, but _believing_ still sounded more heroic, Jack thought grinning.

To his luck he noticed miss Blanchard approaching Emma and starting what looked like a parent-teacher talk. Now that the two of them were busy, Jack stepped aside from the brick wall, just in time to block Henry's way to the entrance.

"Apparently someone had an interesting start of the day."

Taken off guard, Henry set a step back, but when their eyes crossed the boy's light brown orbs sparkled.

"JACK!"

Immediately the winter spirit placed a hand over the boy's mouth.

"Sssh," he shushed, "Not so loud. Let's keep this meeting between the two of us, no outsiders, all right?"

Henry nodded, but Jack's hand prohibited him from letting out more than an incomprehensive mumble. Realizing this, Jack freed him and absently wiped his hand against his jeans.

"So, what's up with the stranger?"

"She's not a stranger," Henry refuted, while his facial expression made room for a proud look. "She's my mother, my _real_ mother."

"Oh, really?" Jack faked surprise and he dramatized his words by inspecting Emma exaggeratedly. "She looks hot. You sure you're related to that?"

Those words quickly earned him punch in the ribs as Henry undoubtedly recognized his teasing. "Stop that," the boy urged playfully. "I'm being serious." And to add emphasis he put on a straight face. "Now that Emma is here, operation Cobra is finally on its way. But we need to keep this a secret from my mom or she will ruin everything!"

Whoever claimed that faith was twisted had it right. When Henry was adopted by Regina ten years ago, Jack had known there was something special about this boy. As the only citizen from outside Storybrooke Henry was untouched by the frozen time and thus the only one to age over the years. Sadly none of the other town's people were aware of this frozen time principle and none took Henry serious about the matter, leaving him with practically no friends at school. Thanks to Jack's connections with a certain dark magician, Jack on the contrary did remember the curse and had been consciously waiting for the arrival of the Savior. At first the blonde had only approached the outsider boy because he suspected the kid must have had some kind of connection to this Savior. However, as things progressed Jack realized he actually started to care for Henry. He had fun hanging out with the kid and Henry's ageing reminded Jack of the passing time. Compared to the other dull fairy-tale characters who lost their memories and acted only on the instinct the Evil Queen had implanted in them, Henry was spontaneously and curious. Just like Jack. Henry also felt close to Jack, because the teen was the only one who treated him equally and didn't taunt his suspicions about the strange events in town. So when Mary Margaret showed up with the storybook it was only natural the two of them invented Operation Cobra to search for the Savior. Yet, that they would truly succeed and that his best friend turned out the be the _son_ of the Savior, was something Jack had not been anticipating. Then again, the winter spirit never pictured the Savior as mother to begin with. She was what? Twenty-eight? That means she had Henry when she was only eighteen year old. Who would want that?

"Okay, no worries, I won't let it slip," Jack assured his partner in crime. "So, what's our next step?"

"Well, first of all, we have to keep this a secret," Henry listed thoughtfully. "Second, we need to convince Emma she's important. I know she wants in, since she stayed, but we have to know if she's ready for the job. Aft-…" His words were abruptly cut off by the school bell, but the brown-haired kid continued without wavering. "After we've secured that, we gotta find a way to make everyone remember who they are."

"Right," Jack nodded warily with a hint of sarcasm. "Because we know exactly how to make everyone remember."

Henry shook his head in denial. "We don't have to," he contradicted fast. "Emma will know what to do, once she truly believes."

The winter spirit sighed and rubbed his forehead with one hand. Next to them the last children ran up the stairs, hastily making their way to their respective classrooms. God, he certainly was glad he never had to go through that torture.

"Fine," he surrendered with a roll of the eyes. "For now we'll wait and see what happens, but I think we should-…"

What he was about to say got lost in the sudden exclamation of Mary Margaret Blanchard. The conversation between Henry and him had diverted Jack's attention from the schoolteacher, who now stood in front of them, her hands planted in her sides.

"Henry! Jack! What are you doing?"

Jack saw Henry's face turn slightly red and he couldn't help but grin at the reaction. Despite his undercover mischievous work, the kid was really just a kid and one with a good conscience as well.

"I'm sorry," he muttered quickly. "I- We-… I mean…"

Before he could embarrass himself anymore, miss Blanchard interrupted him with a warm smile.

"It's okay Henry," she told him and replaced her hands from her hips to her lap, neatly folding them to create a friendly and trustful appearance. "I'm not mad at you." She then shifted her eyes for a short moment to Jack (who already felt uncomfortable with all that sweet-tempered stuff) and continued: "Would you please go ahead of me to the classroom? I'll be there in a second. If you want you can pass around the assignments for today."

Not having any option left open, Henry nodded obedient and sprinted up the stairs to the school entrance.

"Bye, Jack! See you later," he waved with a smile. "And don't forget about the plan!"

Jack grinned at the easy-goingness and waved back. "I won't! And make some fun for me!"

' _Cause I'll definitely need some,_ he thought and bit his lip.

Three seconds of awkward silence and then…

"I think we need to talk, Jack," miss Blanchard stated calmly, just as the winter spirit feared.

 _* I copied this small part of the conversation between Emma and Henry from episode 2 of the series. I might be doing this more often, if the opportunity comes_ _along. Just so you guys know ;)_

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 **A.**


	4. Motherly advice

**Author's note:** _I didn't intend for this chapter to be sad or anything, but somehow it ended up like this. I hope it's any good… Next chapter will probably contain Emma, though I have yet to come up with some ideas. Also thanks for all the support (reviews, fav's and follows), I sincerely appreciate it! ^^_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, but since it's a bother to repeat this at the beginning of every new chapter, I will stop doing so. After all, anyone who made it this far already knows I (sadly) don't own this amazing show nor its characters. Only the Jack Frost from this story is mine as well as any crazy ideas that I added to the original story episodes.**

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Chapter 4 – Motherly advice

Faced with an attentive look that was equally stern and concerned, Jack had two options left. Either he cooperated and obediently answered all the questions that without a doubt would follow, or he ignored the sincere concern miss Blanchard showed for him and settled on stubbornness. Jack being Jack, he choose the second option.

"What's up?"

Hands shoved in his pockets, straightening his back, he tried to adapt a nonchalant attitude. Miss Blanchard however didn't seem to appreciate it.

"I should be the one asking that, Jack," the dark-haired teacher returned the question. "I heard you're sleeping at Granny's place more often lately. Is everything all right? Did Mr. Gold do something to you?" she asked with a soft, but urgent voice.

Being asked the same question twice that morning, the winter spirit suddenly found himself edgy.

"Mr. Gold's got nothing to do with it," he objected resolute. "Why does everyone always assume Mr. Gold is bad? The man is just doing his job."

Miss Blanchard held her breath almost unnoticeable before she regained her words. "He doesn't have to be bad at heart, but his actions do speak for him. He is notorious for his… debatable motives." Very heroic to conceal her dislike for the man in wrapped up, masked words.

"That's only because you don't know him like I do," Jack countered, getting more frustrated by the second. In the back of his mind he felt a strange kind of perception. Here he was standing in front of what was probably one of the most hero-like persons of the Enchanted Forrest and he was defending one of the biggest villains without second thought. So much for remaining unbiased... He really needed to be more careful.

Jack sighed and closed his eyes for a second to take control of his emotions once again. "I'm just saying that it is easy to judge a book by its cover. I'm not stupid, I know you guys distrust Mr. Gold, it's hard not to with all those stares…" He made a wrinkle with his nose. "But honestly, me sleeping at Granny's got nothing to do with the old man."

Miss Blanchard tilted her head slightly to the right, prying at him with her innocent light brown eyes, while unlocking her fingers and brushing a lock of black hair behind her ear.

"Then why, Jack?" she nearly whispered and when Jack was still searching for the right words to react, she continued. "We worry about you, Jack. You can't keep sleeping on benches or chairs, that is terribly for your health. Not to speak about the late night trips through town or skipping school and work. What if-…"

"I'm not skipping school, I quit," the teen interrupted rudely, more so than he intended to do. Though technical he had never gone to school in the first place. Which made it pretty easy not to skip. The rest of town however believed at some point he did go to school and dropped out because of bad grades and an uncaring attitude. Jack preferred to let them think that. In a way he was uncaring about the whole school-thing and though he certainly wasn't stupid, he never had a proper education, so yeah, he probably sucked at math and the like.

"Then what about your work?" Miss Blanchard pressed, no longer looking only warm-hearted. Jack could read the motherly scolding in her eyes. "Surely you didn't quit that too, now did you?"

"Well, no," he admitted unwilling, while avoiding the teachers eyes by inspecting the tips of his black and white sneakers. Ugh, this conversation was long due. Snow White or not, this woman seriously was too goody-goody. "But I don't have to justify my actions to you." Besides, from all the things he busied himself with, at least his work he took serious (to some extend).

"Oh, Jack," she muttered and stepped closer, to which the teen conveniently replied by taking a step back.

"And who told you about me walking around at night? That was just an evening stroll," Jack defended himself once more. His feet itched to walk away from this interrogation as soon as he traced an opportunity.

Miss Blanchard raised an eyebrow and watched him with an unbelieving expression. "Sheriff Graham told me," she elaborated. "And it was 2 a.m. That can hardly be called an evening stroll… Look," her face switched back to mother-mode. "If you have any trouble, just tell me – or someone else if you rather have, it's not important who. We care about you. And if something is bothering you, it's better to tell than to keep it bottled up inside you. We can help. You only have to tell why you're doing all of this…"

 _Because I want to have some time on my one. Because I don't like to tie myself to a home (or whatever resembles it). Correction, because I never learned_ how _to feel at home. Because the evenings are especially cold, which is kind of my thing. Because…. Because I'm bored of living the same life for 28 years._

"I don't need any help," Jack rejected the teacher's words harshly and pulled his jacket tighter when he walked passed her with an irritated look on his face that only partly revealed how he felt.

Miss Blanchard tried to hold his arm when he passed her, but he shook his arm free roughly.

"I said I don't need any help," the winter spirit repeated with an icy gleam in his light blue eyes.

"Please, listen-…" she started, but to no avail.

Jack shook his head furious to block out any words that would follow. "No," he stated firm. "Everything is fine. I don't need help. And you don't get to tell me what I can or can't do. You're not my mother."

That last part made an visual imprint on the woman face. A combination of pity and sadness.

"No, I'm not," she agreed in a steady and collected voice and Jack hadn't expected her to use. "But if I don't act like one, who will?"

Cold and icy, that's how he always felt, but this time it was not the same.

Without another word, Jack left the playground.

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 **A.**


	5. Ice skating

**Author's note:** _Okay, I know I originally said this chapter was going to be about Emma and Jack, but I decided to do a little detour beforehand. Considering the outcome of the conversation between Mary Margaret and Jack, I thought it would suffice to do a flashback about Jack's past, including a certain known character ;) I hope you guys like it. It's almost twice as long as I'm used to :O The next chapter will be about Emma and Jack, so please stay tuned in._

 _Ps. I'm sorry for the incredible lame reference to Frozen, but it suited the context so well, I just couldn't help myself xD_

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Chapter 5 – Ice skating

 ***Long ago, somewhere in the Enchanted Forrest***

…

"It's not working, Jack! How do I do this? I- woah…!"

The brown curled boy desperately waved his arms horizontal in an attempt to regain his balance. Above him the yellow sun spread strokes of light across the land, all the while accompanied by a cold breeze. A layer of ice glanced beneath the boy, covering the complete surface of the lake that surrounded him. His difficulty with standing up right was caused by the slippery ice combined with a pair of old skates on his feet.

"Whaha, you're havin' trouble with that, Bae?"

Seeing his friend wobbling on the ice brought Jack in a cheeky mood. Yet, not completely heartless, the winter spirit did float to the other, his feet a few centimeters above the ground. He had his hands casually wrapped up in the pockets of the armless coat he wore over an old, once-white, but comfortable, long sleeved shirt. The coat was brown, matching his pants and high heeled boots, though all were in different shades of brown. What Jack loved the most about the jacket was the wide hoodie attached to the back. Today however, he had let the hoodie rest against his spine, so he had full sight of the hilarious events unfolding in front of him.

"You've got to keep your feet together, the farther apart they are the more-…" the winter spirit instructed helpfully, but was soon interrupted by his friend.

"No stop!" the curly haired shouted abruptly. "If you stand on the ice it will get…" But before Baelfire could finish his sentence the harm had already taken place. In essence they were both at fault for what happened next. When he reached Baelfire, Jack had landed himself on the surface of the lake, but the moment his feet touched the ice, crystals scattered through the frozen substance. The crystals instantly produced an extra tier of solid water on the area surrounding the boys, making it even more smooth. Baelfire who realized this would happen, tried to warn the winter spirit, but in his alert he moved to eager, resulting in a sudden skid of his skates. Not prepared for the glide that followed, the boy failed to maintain his balance and landed hard on the ice, his butt collecting the pain that shuddered through his body.

Perplexed Jack stared at the bundle of human that lay before his feet for a couple of seconds. Then the amusement of the situation hit him and he started laughing from the bottom of his stomach.

"It's not funny!" pouted Baelfire wronged and he rubbed his rear with a pained look.

His reaction however had the opposite effect, as Jack only started to laugh harder.

"It is when you make that face!" Jack giggled on, his arms crossed around his stomach, grabbing his sides, and tears of joy popping up at the corners of his eyes.

Contagious as a churting mood can be, Baelfire soon found himself unable to resist and not long after the two boys burst into a laughing-fit that could be heard from all sides of the lake.

"Y-you should h-have seen yourself," the blonde chuckled when he finally started to regain his breath. "It was hilarious!"

"O yeah?" Baelfire shot back daringly. "Why not try it yourself? See if you still think it's funny."

The winter spirit shook his head determined. "Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer to _make_ ice instead of breaking it with my butt," he grinned with sparkles in his eyes.

The other boy sighed at this and tried to wriggle himself upright. "Let's get out of here," he prompted, when he unsuccessfully landed on the ice for a second time. "This cold slippery stuff is not agreeing with me."

Another laugh escaped Jack's lips and he took a step closer to Baelfire. "Take off your skates," he charged friendly, before turning and creating a crispy snow path in front of him with a mere motion of his foot. The strip of white cold cotton was a lot less slippery than the ice that was buried underneath and it tipped the bank of the lake. Seeing Baelfire had managed to remove the skates from his boots, Jack then extended his hand to the brown-haired boy in an offer to help him on his feet and had the teen standing in a matter of seconds. "If his highness pleases…" he mocked teasingly as an invitation for the other to walk down the white carpet.

"You're ridiculous," Baelfire noted with a smile on his face and shoved Jack aside when he passed him.

Once safely off the lake, the two friends settled on a fallen log, while Baelfire attempted to warm himself with a cup of hot liquid they had brought with them. The brown-haired teen was packed in more layers of clothes than Jack, including a thick warm moss-green cape (also with a hoodie to Jack's delight), since not everyone withstood the cold temperature of winter. Jack, however, had no trouble at all. In comparison to Baelfire, he did not need any heating-up. The cold never bothered him anyway.

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the little warmth of the sunlight, but then Baelfire cleared his throat. "So… uhm… You're stayin' in town for a while?" Though it sounded like a statement, it was actually more of a question and the human-kid played with the now empty cup in his hands.

"Only 'til next week," admitted Jack, gazing over the crystal lake with longing eyes. "I've got to fix something for your dad. After that I need to hit the road." He glanced sideways and winked. "Winter doesn't transfer on its own, you know."

Baelfire let out a long sigh as he bent forward and ruffled his fingers through the cold snow. "I know," he relented. "Just wish you wouldn't have to leave. Things are boring here."

At those words, Jack merely shrugged, not really sure how to respond to the honest feelings of his friend. Baelfire was the first true friend he ever had, but that made him happy as well as inexperienced. Not even speaking about the fact that he wasn't entirely confident he was _allowed_ to have a friend. "I'll drop by a couple of times," the winter spirit eventually promised. "And summer is only a couple of months away."

"I know," the brown teen repeated a second time. He dropped the snow and dried his hand with the hem of his cloak. He paused for a moment, but then proceeded with a disapproving voice. "You're up to evil stuff again?"

In spite of the lack of information, Jack knew perfectly well what the boy was referring to.

"I don't do _evil_ ," he emphasized brief, kicking a bundle of snow and grass in front of him.

Baelfire's head turned towards him and a set of prying brown eyes met the withdrawn blue ones.

"You don't do _good_ either," accused the teen. "I can't believe you agree to work for my papa. Ever since he became the owner of that stupid dagger, he has changed. Everything's about power. People don't accept him, they fear him! Now no-one wants to be around me either, because they're afraid papa will do something horrible to them. I've seen what he is capable of, Jack, why would you still want to collaborate with him?"

Jack waited patiently till the boy had let off steam. When it was his time to speak, he bit his lip, revealing his uneasiness. "I've told you this before, Bae, he kinda saved my life," the blonde stated without really explaining anything. "Although his deeds may be dark, his heart isn't corrupted completely. He sincerely loves you. He's your dad after all. You should be proud that he tries to raise you all by himself after your mother left."

He felt Baelfire shuffle next to him, until the boy decided to speak his mind. "Yeah, I guess you're right…" the boy trailed. "I just wish he wouldn't be so fixated on power alone."

Jack didn't answer. What was there to answer? The winter spirit probably knew more than anyone else how far the Dark One was willing to go, but he refused to crush his friend's hope. Great time to start acting impartial, he thought himself sarcastically.

In conflict with his own conscience, the next question from Baelfire startled him so much he nearly fell of the log. "What about your papa and mama, Jack? What kind of people are they?"

Recollecting himself, Jack coughed and turned his head away to the three right of him. "I don't have much of parents," he declared lowly.

"What?" uttered Baelfire his surprise. "Everyone has parents, right? What about Mother Nature? I always believed she was the mama of spirits."

Jack groaned loudly and shook his head promptly. "Ugh, no," he corrected stern. "That woman only _creates_ spirits, she is definitely not a mother-figure, believe me." He shivered. "Too much arrogance."

The brown-haired teen raised an eyebrow at this display. "Okay…" he stimulated. "But what about your papa? Who is he? Or don't you have one…? You know, being 'created' and all…" Baelfire's voice dripped with confusion and Jack couldn't blame the boy. It was rather complicated. But the turn of topics did hit close to home, making the winter spirit anxious and reserved. He wanted to trust his friend and answer honestly, but his upbringing thwarted him.

"I- uh… we-…." _Yeah, wrong start_. "I guess Farther Time did raise us in some way," Jack clarified slowly with a hint of unwillingness, not even bothering to explain exactly who he mend by 'us'. "He just… It was not really his strongest quality, let's leave it at that." He finished quickly and avoided the emphatic brown eyes that were intruding his personal bubble. "So in general, I don't really have parents," he continued talking, feeling as if the words would overrule the hurtful flashbacks that entered his mind. "But I'm fine that way," Jack hastily added, not wanting to expose his dejection. "I don't need anyone to tell me what to do or were to go. I would die before I willingly let myself be grounded by rules and the like. Sure, I admire the relationship between parents and children, between you and Rumple, but those home-y tendencies are just not fit for me." The blonde rose and set a few steps forwards the icy lake, while kicking up snow with the tip of his brown boots. He laughed, but his eyes remained glazed. "Guess winter really is the season of endless freedom and fun."

Behind him, Baelfire shifted and Jack heard him approach by the rustle of the snow. "Yeah, but that also makes winter cold and lonely," the boy remarked, cutting Jack's heart mentally in two. No longer sure if he could keep his façade, the blonde was about to set off, when suddenly Baelfire spoke again. "Luckily, the cold doesn't bother you and we're not alone."

* * *

 **A.**


	6. Intruder

**Author's note:** _Hello to the new followers of this story! Great to see people enjoy reading this :) As promised this chapter will be about Emma and Jack. Also, since I'll be on vacation to Germany/Austria for the next 2 week, I might take some more time to update the next chapter. Just so you guys know!_

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Chapter 6 – Intruder

Once Jack had liberated himself from Miss Blanchard's interrogation and finally left the playground, Emma was long gone, much to the blonde's dismay. He wished he had had a chance to chat with this so-called Savior, but how was he supposed to find her now?

Sighing the winter spirit strolled along the main road. There were a few people hurrying past him, probably late for work or any other appointment, but other than those late-comers the street was relatively quiet. For a moment Jack considered going back to the Pawn Shop, but his curiosity took the better of him. As an excuse he convinced himself that Mr. Gold didn't necessarily need him today. More than that, it was reasonable to assume the man actually closed the shop so he could roam around and stoke up whatever evil scheme he was working on. At least, that was what Jack wanted to believe.

Which left Jack with time to spare. Time to stalk the Savior. Well, okay, not actually _stalk_ her (that would be creepy), but he nonetheless wanted to familiarize himself with the blond woman. If Emma really was the Savior, it would be more than interesting to see to what extend he could mess with her and who knows, maybe she might really be able to break this stupid curse. If there was one thing Jack had learned from Rumpelstiltskin, it was to never underestimate fate and magic. Though… in order to mess with the Savior, he first needed to know where she was.

His walk along the main road had brought the winter spirit back to the place he had woken up that morning: Granny's. Obviously the small café lacked the presence of the female outsider, but it sparked an idea in Jack's mind. Emma had registered a room at Granny's lodging and even if she was wandering around town at this exact moment, she would sooner or later return there. All Jack needed to do was sneak in and wait till she arrived.

Busied with his new brainwave, Jack turned on his heels and took the next street to the left. The Café was located at the front of the lodging building and if the teen wanted to intrude unnoticed, he better take the back entrance. Fortunately getting in unseen was a rather effortless job. Storybrooke hardly had any visitors (make that one in the past twenty-eight years) so the lodging was basically unsecured. Exclusively Granny and Ruby held a watchful eye on the building and it's belongings, but since both were occupied with serving the morning-customers, Jack had practically nothing to fear.

The winter spirit made it to the backdoor in no-time, clicked the handle down softly and when he heard no warning sounds, he slipped inside. The counter was dusty as ever, but Jack had only eye for the room-keys hanging against the wall behind the desk. With merely one visitor the teen didn't even had to strain his eyes to notice which key was missing. There was just a single empty spot. Memorizing the room number, Jack subsequently passed the hallway and went upstairs.

To his amazement the waiting hadn't even started when he was rewarded with the sound of a creaking front door. His foot had barely touched the last step of the stair, when the tall blonde woman came into view, looking up at him.

"Uh, hello," she started somewhat surprised by the sudden company of a teenage boy. "Guess I'm not the only visitor after all."

Jack grinned and took a moment to eye the outsider. Tall, blonde, blue eyes, white shirt, jeans, red jacket draped over her right arm… To be honest, she looked nothing like a mother. Or a savior.

"Don't worry, I'm not a visitor," he replied, leaning nonchalant against the wall, waiting for the other to climb the stairs. "I was just hanging around."

"Oh really?" Emma raised an eyebrow at him, but passed him without elaborating. Jack noticed she was caring a paper file and he squinted his eyes to read the document name in the left corner. _Henry Mills_. Well, it seemed like he wasn't the only one with an extensive curiosity.

His attention was drawn back to the woman when she fiddled with her room key, trying not to drop either the jacket of the fills. In a split second the boy shifted to her side and seized the keys from her hand. "Here, let me help," he offered, concealing his meddling with faked politeness.

"Woah, hey kid, I-"

But the winter spirit had already unlocked the door and stepped inside without any reticence.

"Awesome!" he exclaimed, maybe a bit exaggerated. For the dramatic effect the teen walked in a circle, acting as if he was inspecting every detail. "Nice room, you've got."

Emma on the contrary remained standing in the doorframe, eyeing him with both astonishment and suspicion. "Okay, look, y-"

But Jack didn't let her finish the sentence. Partially because he wanted to test her patient (somehow he got the funny feeling Emma was easy to mess with) and partially because he had to persuade her in letting him stay. "You're Henry's mom, right? Emma Swan."

Taken aback, the Savior blinked her eyes, before narrowing her glance with mistrust. "Yeah," she confirmed hesitating. "How'd you know?"

Jack shrugged as if he took the whole situation lightly (which might actually be true). "I'm Henry's friend. Of course I'd know."

For a moment Emma lingered in silence. Supposedly considering what to do with the teen and weighing his believability. She walked further into the room, dropping both her jacket and the documents on the single bed, after which she posed herself on the bed frame. Arms folded she turned to the winter spirit and spoke calm, indicating she left all her options open and was waiting for the right information to pass a judgement.

"I was told Henry doesn't have any friends. How come you are?"

Noticing her collected behavior, Jack's blue eyes twinkled with anticipation and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. Maybe this woman was Savior-material after all. This level-headedness was exactly the thing they needed to break the Evil Queens' curse.

"That's just what Madame Mayor thinks," Jack countered. "The Queen is very protective of Henry which leaves him with little friends. I'm different, but she doesn't like me hanging out with Henry. That's why she ignores me and acts as though Henry has no friends at all."

Emma shook her head in confusion. "Wait, what? The _queen_?"

"Yeah," Jack grinned a bit more and sat down on the arm rest of one of the light green chairs in the bright room. "Surely Henry told you about Operation Cobra right? You know, the whole fairy tale stuff?"

Groaning slightly the woman in front of him rubbed her hand against her temples. "Not you too…" she mumbled. "Come on, you are what, sixteen? Don't tell me you believe all… _that_." She made a wide gesture, apparently trying to avoid calling her one son nuts.

Sixteen? The teen chuckled. That estimation was a few decades off. As for Operation Cobra…

"Maybe I do," he provoked the Savior teasingly, though in fact he _knew_ everything Henry said was true. "But for your reassurance: I haven't yet needed any session with our town's psychologist. I just like playing along with Henry and as Dr. Hopper stated, it's better not to crush Henry's imagination."

Emma sighed, pressed her lips and nodded. "Right." She then tilted her head to the left. "What's your name, kid?"

"Jack."

"Okay, Jack," the blonde woman started with a low voice, while bending forward, her elbows resting on her knees. Their eyes met and Jack perceived a spark of both curiosity and interest. "What else can you tell me about this Operation Cobra?"

That was the trigger Jack had been waiting for. Seasonal spirits are not allowed to side with either good or evil, but no-one ever forbid the teen to meddle a bit in affairs if he was asked to (as long as the initiative came from someone else). "Why don't you let me help you rumble through those files you've got there and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

* * *

 **A.**


	7. Caught in action

**Author's note:** _Hello everyone! I'm back from vacation with a new chapter :) Hopefully I haven't made you guys wait too long. Also, the conversation between Emma and the Sheriff is mostly copied from the original episode, I was however forced to do some slight changes because of the additional presence of Jack. I hope you don't mind. Suggestion, reviews and the like are more welcome!_

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Chapter 7 – Caught in action

They were sitting on the bed across from each other with the pile of papers sprawled out between them. Emma lay casually against the wooden hoisting at the far end of the bed, her legs dangling above the ground so that her boots missed the clean sheets. The red jacket still decorated the spot next to her, but due to the warmth in the room, Emma had also taken off her long sleeved shirt. She now wore a blank white tank top. Jack was situated on the opposite end, propped up against the wall, with a pillow in his back. He had kicked off his sneakers, dropped his jacket on the ground and he sat in a cross-legged position as if he was meditating. Both were scanning the files Emma had brought, containing information about Henry's therapy lessons. At first the blonde woman had been hesitating about letting Jack read the files, but when she realized he basically already knew everything it included, she reluctantly agreed. Jack suspected it had something to do with her questions about Operation Cobra. Though the woman acted as if she was merely slightly interested in the whole thing, Jack sensed that she might be more moved by meeting her biological son than she let on. Emma probably assumed that Jack was able to provide her more details about Henry's life or even correct some of the interpretations doctor Hopper made in his sessions with the boy.

"Okay, so if I understand this right, Henry already had a lot of sessions before Mary Margaret gave him the storybook?" Emma switched yet another paper. "He had already been talking about some crazy things that were happening in this town – at least according to him – and when he read the book, he kind of projected the story onto these so called strange events."

"He believed the stories were real and used them to explain the strange events, yeah," Jack paraphrased affirmatively.

Emma put the papers down sighing and grabbed the bridge of her nose with her thump and middle finger. "Right," she stated. "But how did he even manage to come up with so many 'crazy facts' in this town? I mean, just look at them: no-one ever leaves town, the tower clock hasn't worked in all of Henry's life – probably even before that – and apparently he is the only one who _ages_?" The last part sounded confused as if the woman wasn't sure how to interpret this piece of information.

The winter spirit saw her struggling and silently felt sorry for the outsider. He could, however, not provide her with more explanations. He had to fake ignorance about the curse.

"Technically all those observation are true, at least as far as I know," Jack shrugged. "And although all those facts can be viewed as coincident, it is rather striking they fit perfectly well into Henry's storybook, don't you think?"

Emma eyed him doubtingly. "I thought you said you didn't believe this crazy curse-thing?"

"Well, I don't know," Jack grinned at her. "It would be awesome to be a fairy tale character, right? Fighting dragons and knights, freeing princesses from dark dungeons and living happily ever after…"

Somehow this comment broke part of Emma's tension, as the woman finally managed to put a smile on her face.

"Sure," she agreed with played sarcasm. "That would be absolutely fabulous." The savior sat a bit straighter and shoved some of the scattered papers into a pile. Then, as if she suddenly had an afterthought, she frowned and locked her clear eyes with the teen. "Wait a sec, if everyone in this town is supposed to be a fairy tale character, you're also in on this. Who does Henry think you are?"

Ouch, that question hurt. Not because he was afraid Emma would figure out his real identity, but because of the answer he was forced to give. Jack couldn't help but make a disgusted face. "Pan," the teen answered mumbling. "Henry thinks I'm Peter Pan."

A soft snicker escaped the Savior's lips. "Something tells me you are far from happy about this role."

Jack rolled his eyes. Being identified as the despicable person of Pan was something Jack never believed possible. Imagine his surprise when Henry one day came up to him and declared the teen had to be no-one else but the carefree, youthful Neverland-boy. In Henry's defense, the kid had no idea how far off the fairytale stories of this realm were compared to the real deal. Still, Jack despised the idea. Seasonal spirits were supposed to be impartial, sure, but there were no restrictions about liking or hating people. And Pan definitely belonged to the latter group.

"Let's just say I don't agree with Henry's reasoning," Jack gave away. "I don't want to be a happy-go-lucky flying boy in green rags, who does nothing but sprinkle pixie dust on humans to let them fly. If I had to choose a fairy tale personage, I would pick someone cooler. Maybe Hook, or Robin Hood."

"Isn't Captain Hook the person who always gets defeated?" Emma countered. "Why would you want to be a loser like him?"

At that reply Jack couldn't help but grin. _Oh, she really had a lot to learn._

"I'll be a better version of Hook. I'll do-"

His sentence was cut off abruptly by a knock on the door. Jack turned to Emma, but judging by her surprised eyes, the tall woman had no clue either about who the unexpected visitor might be. She shove the papers away and quickly lift herself from the bed. From his position on the bed, Jack could not see who stood on the other side of the door, but he pricked up his ears to eavesdrop the conversation that would follow.

"Hey there," Emma greeted the (apparently familiar) comer, when she opened the wooden door of her suite. "If you're concerned about the 'do not disturb' signs, don't worry. I've left them alone."

"Actually, I'm here about Dr. Archibald Hopper. He mentioned you got into a bit of a row with him earlier?"

As soon as the distinct sounds of the foreign accent reached Jack's ears, he knew he was in trouble. Sheriff Graham was not exactly hostile towards him (and in his heart Jack even looked up to the man) but since the teen had a habit of doing things that were on the brick of insubordination, the two of them often clashed. Like miss Blanchard, the Sheriff only wanted to help Jack – or that's what he said as an excuse for lecturing the winter spirit. Jack however wasn't the type to listen to those preaches and found himself in trouble over and over again. He seriously started to think Regina only gave Graham the title of Sheriff so the man could ruin his fun.

Knowing there was no way to hide from the Sheriff if he entered the room, Jack held his breath and stayed silent. He concentrated on the conversation between the two, a conversation that itself was rather interesting.

Emma rejected the Sheriff's statement with a self-assured ' _no'_ and the man continued with sarcasm.

"I was shocked, too," he declared. "given your shy, delicate sensibilities. He says you demanded to see Henry's files and when he refused, you came back and stole them." Though it was mend as a statement, it sounded more like a question.

Jack saw how Emma's face emanated steadfastness. "He gave them to me."

"Alas, he's telling a different tale. May I check your room, or must I get a search warrant?"

Oh, no. No. No. No. Lightning fast Jack crawled from the bed, dropping on the floor and feverishly probing around with his hands in search for his sneakers. Behind him Emma sighed deeply and Jack could hear by the footsteps that his moment of escaping was over. With one sneaker on and the other in his hand, Jack was greeted by the desperate sigh from the Sheriff. The teen turned his head and when he locked eyes with the older man he grinned sheepishly.

"Uh. Hi there."

The Sheriff however didn't even bother to greet the teen. All he did was rub his hand against his forehead.

"Put on your shoes, Jack, and stay there. I'll be dealing with you in a minute." Graham then turned to Emma, who made a wide gesture at the scattered files on the bed.

"Is this what you're looking for?" she asked bored, probably knowing what was to follow.

The Sheriff walked up to the bed and took one of the papers to assure it was indeed part of the 'stolen' documents. "Well, you're very accommodating," he admitted. "I'm afraid, miss Swan, you're under arrest…" He reached for his belt and brought out a handcuff. "… again."

"You know I'm being set up, don't you." Emma defended herself in a last try, while the handcuffs clicked around her wrists.

"And who, may I ask, is setting you up?" the Sheriff countered seemingly uninterested.

The tall woman tilled her head slightly to the side. "You know whom I'm talking about," she whispered.

"Right," Graham nodded, but he further ignored her and turned his attention to Jack. "Never expected you to be an accomplish in crime, Jackie."

The teen wrinkled his nose at the nickname. "I'm not."

This raised an eyebrow of the Sheriff, but instead of asking more question, the man decided to leave the interrogation for latter.

"I only have one handcuff on me, so I'm trusting you're coming with me obediently like you should, right Jack?" It was said with so much sternness, all Jack could do was nod in agreement. "Great, than let's pay a visit to my office."

* * *

 **A.**


	8. Freedom and imprisonment

**Author's note:** _First of all, sorry for the short delay of this chapter. I had some trouble finding inspiration for the story and I'm not really sure about the unfolding of the story plot. So, if any of you guys come up with ideas or suggestion for further chapters, please let me know (in a review, or you can sent me a pm). Starting from this week, I'm back to studying so I probably won't be able to post weekly. Hopefully a two week deadline is do-able, we'll see! :)_

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Chapter 8 – Freedom and imprisonment

The main office of the Sheriff's station was neatly ordered and rather spacious despite the filled cabinets against the walls and the two working desks in the middle of the room. The lack of density could have something to do with the open view at the two cells in the back of the room, which were currently unoccupied, and the large windows on the right side. At their entrance, Jack had dropped himself in one of the office chairs, while the Sheriff had taken Emma a bit further into the room to a tripod with an expensive looking camera attached to it. The Sheriff was now busy preparing the camera and questioned Emma a bit more about the documents she had supposedly stolen from Dr. Hopper.

Though the arrest warrant seemed valid, Jack believed in Emma's innocence. Even if he hadn't known Regina's true identity as the Evil Queen, he still would've chosen Emma's story above the mayor's. Graham approached the arrest from an objective point of view as he did not relent to Emma's refutations against the charge. Still Jack could feel the man had a week spot for the tall blonde woman. As a spirit who lived many decades trying to remain unbiased, Jack often knew to which side a person was drawn. Graham might be a pawn of the Evil Queen, but at heart the man was honest and good.

Swiveling on the office chair, Jack inspected the desk in front of him. Not much to see. A computer, a luminaire, lots of papers, a used coffee mug, a stapler without staples… Quite boring. Peeking over to see if anyone paid attention, Jack found himself unsupervised. That had to count as a sign to do whatever he wanted. So Jack picked up a few of the files on the desk and searched through them. _Vacancy for Sheriff's deputy…_ Not interesting. _Safety controls for the tunnels underneath the town…._ Old news.

A click of the camera's shutter and a bright flash made the teen look up.

"You know the shrink is lying, right?" Emma sighed once again as Graham had started shooting the frame photo's.

Who knew? Jiminy Cricket – or his Storybrooke alter-ego – was just as much capable of lying. Seeing his background story it was hard to believe, but then again, all humans have flaws. Jack frowned for a second. Uh, yeah, that probably also included humans who were magically transformed into crickets and then brought back to their humans forms due to an evil curse. Or something.

Bored again, the teen focused his attention to all the none-interesting things outside the window. That is, until his eye locked on a glimpse to brown hair that radiated a whole lot more captivating vibes. Henry! And miss Blanchard? While the first one brought a grin upon Jack's bored features, the second one produced one big question mark. However, the teen didn't have to test his patience for too long, as the exceptional duo quickly made their way into the Sheriff's station building.

Just as Jack tuned in on the conversation between Emma and Graham – which surprisingly was still going on – Henry burst into the room.

"Hey!" he yelled enthusiastically and walked straight up to Jack to give the teen a high five.

His enthusiasm was not met by similar feelings from the Sheriff. The authority figure only frowned at the sudden appearance of the kid and his teacher. "Henry," he observed neutral. "Henry, what are you doing here?"

Jack grinned and tried to sit in a more relaxing position by putting his feet on the desk. "Isn't that obvious?" he interjected quite contented now that he finally regained the opportunity to joke around. "He's here for the photoshoot. Better take the right side, he has a mole on his left."

From the corner of his eye the winter spirit saw Henry sticking his tongue out to him, but the glare he received from the Sheriff was more intimidating. Luckily for Jack, miss Blanchard decided to cut off further uproar.

"His mother told him what happened," she explained on Henry's behalf as she pulled her neat black purse a bit higher up her arm.

"Of course she did." Emma sent a sharp look to Graham and Jack could almost feel her need to be right. She then turned her attention to Henry – _to her son_ – and made an attempt to pardon herself. "Henry, I don't know what she said—"

"You're a genius."

With that statement Henry earned the surprise from everyone present.

Eventually Emma voiced the overall confusion. "What?"

"I know what you were up to," Henry entrusted with a soft voice as though he wanted to be cautious and although Emma raised her eyebrows in misunderstanding, Jack slowly started to see were the kid was going. Emma better say thanks to the innocent nature of her offspring. Jack wasn't quite so sure if Henry appreciated Emma (or Jack himself) for snooping around in his session files if they lacked a valid excuse. "You were gathering intel, right…? For operation Cobra?"

A cough from the Sheriff made Jack look away from the blonde woman. "I'm sorry," Graham joined in. "I'm a bit lost."

"Well," Jack countered daringly. "It's need-to-know, Sheriff…"

Henry smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yup. And all you need to know is that miss Blanchard's gonna bail her out."

" You are?" Emma questioned surprised while looking over to the short-black-haired teacher. "Why?"

"I, uh, trust you," was the basic, yet obviously last-minute explanation. Emma however seemed not to care about any of this. She simple stretched her arms out to the Sheriff with a satisfying attitude.

"Well, if you can uncuff me… I have something to do."

Not having many options left, the Sheriff sighed and reached for the keys in his pocket, after which he unlocked the cuffs on Emma's wrists.

A sudden poke in his side, let Jack jump in his chair and he quickly settled his feet on the ground again, while Henry hissed words to his ear in a softer voice.

"Let's meet up at the castle. I've got some awesome ideas on how to proceed with operation Cobra…"

"Too bad, Henry, but Jack's gonna have to skip that meeting." Graham turned around to the boys and gave a curt nod to where the winter spirit was seated.

"Oh, don't worry, Sheriff," Henry waved off the Sheriff's commend. "Miss Blanchard will bail them both out."

The older man shook his head in disagreement. "I'm not talking about the bailment, Henry. Jack isn't even arrested."

 _Wait_. "I'm not?"

Both Jack and Henry gaped at the Sheriff, but the man just shrugged it off. He walked over to where the teen was sitting and dropped the now unused handcuffs on the desk.

"Jack's still a minor," the man explained calmly in his distinguished accent. "There're different rules for adults and minors. Also, Dr. Hopper only gave a statement against miss Swan, which means Jack's off the hook from the beginning." A slight hope crossed through Jack's veins, but his hope was soon replaced by a cold shower of disappointment when Graham continued his monologue. "However, since Jack was still found in the place of crime, so to speak, I'm obligated to at least inform his supervisor of the events this afternoon. So, while Emma is free to go, I want Jack to stay here until I've made a call with Mr. Gold. Is that all right with you, Jackie?"

The teen exaggerated a rebellious sigh and rolled his eyes. "Do I even have a choice?" he muttered grumpily. "And don't call me that."

A small smile appeared on the Sheriff's lips. "Maybe this will learn you to think before you act."

"Now I really need the happy endings to be back in town," Jack whispered to himself, not hard enough for anyone to be heard, and once again he put his dirty shoes on the office desk (though this time it was out of childish protest). This was going to be a long day.

* * *

 **A.**


	9. Charming up John Doe

**Author's note:** _Hello, dear readers. It's been a while, but I finally finished chapter 9. I hope you enjoy reading this! Also, thanks for the new fav's, follow's and reviews. I appreciate every one of them :)_

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Chapter 9 – Charming up John Doe

"I believe you've lost your wits, my lad. Surely you weren't really involved in this matter, now were you?"

The emphasize Rumpelstiltskin put on the word _involved_ was subtle yet hard to miss. As Jack suspected, the man was more interested in the development of the events than the teen's unfortunate mishap. The Sheriff had held by his decision to call Jack's 'guardian', much to the youngster's dismay. Mr. Gold was asked to come and pick Jack up from the station, but obviously the Sheriff wasn't satisfied till he had a good talk with both of them. Luckily Rumpelstiltskin had the gift to bend all words to his advantage and Graham's worries were soon soothed. Jack refused to think Graham actually disregarded his worries, but at least for the time being the teen was off the hook.

In the distance Jack heard the clock tower chime. Five o'clock already. He sighed and looked over at Rumpelstiltskin, who walked casually next to him. The wooden stick of the older man made a ticking sound with every step they neared the rustic Pawn Shop.

"Nah, I was just curious about Emma Swan," explained Jack after thinking over his answer. "Thanks to Regina, things unfolded a bit different than I expected, that's all."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded in comprehension. "Did she find anything interesting? Miss Swan, I mean."

"Mmh." Just like the old times, Rumple tried to take advantage of Jack's escapades. Though, the teen couldn't find any reason to withhold the information from the Dark One. In this particular situation, it was in his own interest to play open card. In order to break the curse they needed Emma to believe and Rumpelstiltskin might as well be able to give her a hand in accomplishing that. "She's certainly in on Operation Cobra by now. Though, I doubt she is anywhere near believing Henry's storybook is more than just a bundle of papers. She wants to play along to please Henry, I suppose. Can't blame her for trying… She's got a lot of catching up to do after she abandoned him in the first place."

The streetlight popped on, even though at this hour the sky was only dimmed in color. In front of them the Mayor's house came into view and seeing the concrete building made Jack wonder what Henry was up to. It was Thursday, so the kid would probably be heading out with his 'mom' for diner, after which his therapy lessons started. Maybe he could catch Henry before school tomorrow morning. Jack had to admit he was curious about the plan Henry had devised for Operation Cobra. The younger one had seemed very excited at the Sheriff's station.

"Is this jealousy I'm hearing?"

"What?" Held back by the sudden accusation, Jack stopped in his tracks and stood still in the middle of the road.

Rumpelstiltskin however merely shrugged and halted as well so he could turn around and face Jack. "I would almost deem that last comment as an glimpse of jealousy," he stated with a slight raise of his eyebrow. "To what reason may I accredit this?"

The winter spirit narrowed his blue eyes at the man, but didn't give an answer. No yet, at least. Only after the other remained silent, in anticipation of an answer, Jack sighed and replied curt: "I'm a spirit. I don't do jealousy." He kicked a small stone over the pavement with the tip of his sneaker and pulled his jacket a bit more straight.

"I believe miss Swan is only trying to atone for what she did years ago," Rumpelstiltskin reasoned. Now that he stood still, he rested both his hands on top of the walking-cane and two of his fingers tapped unconsciously against the wood. A familiar habit Jack had come to know over the years.

The teen huffed. "Yeah, right," he muttered. "Giving him his best chance and all. Just like every adult thinks is the right thing to do." He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Besides, what do you know about parenting."

Silence.

 _Baelfire._

Okay, so that was a low blow. Jack bit his lip. He didn't resent Emma for trying to connect with her son and he certainly hadn't intend to voice any malice towards Rumpelstiltskin. He probably was a tiny bit jealous of Henry for reconciling with a blood-relative, but Jack couldn't describe what exactly made him feel envious. The winter spirit never really experienced the presence of a parent and since he had lived so many years just fine without them, he didn't feel the need to change that. Better off with more freedom to roam around _wherever_ he wanted and to do _whatever_ he wanted.

"Never mind," Jack mumbled with a thread of shame knotted in his voice. "I- uh…"

Just as he was about to apologize a loud bang startled both of them and simultaneously they directed their faces towards the mayor's house. Out of the front door a small figure appeared, running hastily down the straight entranceway.

Rumpelstiltskin was the first to speak, but Jack beat him in reaction. Before the elder man could voice more than a 'Well, look-' Jack had moved forward, sprinting to the gate and the small figure that opened it.

"Henry!" he yelled in order to get the brown-haired boy's attention.

The younger one, however, didn't slow his pace, leaving Jack no other option than to run after him. Judging from the way Henry had left the building, something was definitely wrong and Jack was determined to figure out what. Luckily the teen was both older (quite a lot actually) and longer, giving him the advantage of being faster. Before Henry reached the corner of the street, Jack had caught up to him and he grabbed the kid by his sleeve to end the flight.

"Woh, there, buddy," he panted slightly. "Why the hurry?"

Then he saw the tears that whizzed down Henry's face. The sight of his friend being sad to the point of crying, made Jack crimp.

"She's doesn't believe it!"

Confused Jack shook his head. "Who doesn't believe what?" he tried to clarify.

"Emma," Henry explained with a shaking, but angry voice. "She doesn't believe me. The storybook. The curse. Everything." He paused for a brief moment to catch his breath. "She was with my mom, talking about stuff and then she called the curse crazy. She called _me_ crazy for believing it."

Jack eyed the boy in from of him while he listened silently to the rush of words. Henry was clearly upset, but the teen noticed another surfacing emotion: discouragement.

"Maybe she didn't really mean what she said," he posed when the kid was finished, but judging from Henry's face, this statement offered no comfort.

The teen shook his head and brushed his fingers through the blond locks of hair. "Okay, well maybe she needs some more convincing evidence."

"What do you mean?" Henry watched him muddled. There was still one tear lingering at the corner of one of his brown eyes, but he quickly removed it with a swipe of his hand. It was so adorable, Jack couldn't resist patting the younger one's head.

"Didn't you have an awesome new plan for Operation Cobra," he motivated his previous comment. "You know, the one you wanted to tell me at the castle after we escaped from the Sheriff's station? If it's indeed as genius as I'm used from you, then Emma will have no other option than to accept the truth, right?"

As if he had given Henry a large bucket of candy, the boy's eyes lit up instantly.

"Jack, you're incredible!"

The teen grinned broadly. "I know," he teased and put his hand in his sides to support the words. "So, co-genius-partner-in-crime, what devious plan have you concocted?"

Henry returned the gesture by giving Jack a honest smile. "What if I told you I found Prince Charming, here in Storybrooke…"

In response the teen fell silent for a moment. He had known about Charming's whereabouts, but he hadn't realized Henry would figure things out on his own. Then the winter spirit's blue eyes sparkled. Actually, this could be the turnaround they needed…

"That would be an interesting story to hear," he answered, while trying to conceal part of his excitement. "Please fill me in."

"Great," Henry exclaimed. "Be prepared for project Charming-up-John-Doe."

* * *

 **A.**


	10. Search in the Forest

**Author's note:** _Hello everyone. I'm sorry for the late update. I was delayed, but hopefully it is worth the wait. I decided to make some time skips in the upcoming chapters, since the story will be very slow if I have to describe all episodes in detail. If there's one particular episode or event from season 1 you'd like to see Jack appearing in, let me know and I'll try to honor those requests._

* * *

Chapter 10 – Search in the forest

 _(30 minutes earlier)_

 _With the nearing evening it became harder for Jack to notice the vines in front of him, so he held his grip tight in order to prevent a slide down the ivy that covered the west wall of the Mayor's house. He had come so far, he refused to back out now. Only a few more struggling feet higher and he could reach the window-frame that gave entrance to Henry's room. Quickly he situated himself in a relatively comfortable and safe position, by sitting on the edge of the window-frame that was barely big enough. The winter spirit paused a second to catch his breath. Seriously, he was just not made for this kind of exercise. And to think he could have levitated himself if it wasn't for that annoying curse. All magic comes with a prize. His prize would be to conserve energy._

 _Jack fiddled with the opening of the window, but when it didn't bunch, he decided to screw all actions of caution and simply bang on the glass with his knuckles. The result was louder than he expected, but it was sufficient as seconds later the silhouette of Henry came into view. Proving that windows were supposed to be opened from the inside, rather than the outside, Henry lifted the frame and made room for Jack to stumble into the bedroom._

" _Jack? What are you doing here?"_

 _The winter spirit grinned broadly._

" _You and me," he stated while poking his younger friend in the chest. "We're going to save Charming's royal butt."_

Jack was in a good mood. A very good mood. Despite his harsh remark towards Rumpelstiltskin the other night, things finally turned out for the better. He had waited for twenty-eight years , but now the waiting was over. Emma's arrival in town had been the first big step in breaking the curse. Charming's awakening was an amazing follow-up. Not only was this a confirmation that the curse was weakening, it also meant that the Enchanted Forest's most renowned couple was back together (or at least would be, very soon). And leave it to them to kick butt, with their so called _true-love-madness._

Of course there happened to be some minor issues to attend to, but nothing too big that couldn't be handled. Just a princely coma-patient wandering around in the forest dressed in nothing more than a hospital gown. Yeah… not the appearance anyone would expect dear Charming to be dressed in. Back at the hospital, the teen had overheard the Sheriff discussing a plan of action with Emma and Mary Margaret. Sneaking up on the trio right away seemed a bit too bold, even for Jack, but the winter spirit's mischievous nature could not let this event pass without meddling in some way. So, being the not-so-obedient teenager he was, Jack sought refuge at the mayor's house. Or more precisely, he paid a visit to his ever willing partner-in-crime. Now the two of them were roaming through the woods, looking for either John Doe (aka Prince Charming) or his rescue group (consisting of the Sheriff, Emma and Mary Margaret).

Jack focused his attention to the trees on his left side. Was it his imagination or did he really hear voices? He set a few steps in said direction, narrowing his eyes, hoping to see a glimpse of the moving silhouettes that should be accompanying the hushed speech. He turned his head towards Henry, locking eyes with the younger one. Henry nodded as if he understood what Jack had in mind, but the teen nevertheless waved his hand as a sign for the other to follow him. Sneaking between the branches, the two of them made their way forward.

"There, I see them," Henry pointed his finger to locate the position of their prey to Jack. The winter spirit, however, had already seen the three moving figures. They were walking a bit in front of them, down the hill. Watching them, Jack debated with himself whether or not to make their presences known to the grown-ups. Judging from experience, they certainly wouldn't appreciate the boys for adventuring at this hour of the day. Let alone the fact that Henry was specifically told nót to leave his room under any circumstances. Well, that was what Regina ordered at any rate. But Jack foresaw that the Sheriff and his lady-companions held more or less the same opinions.

"Let's go!"

The sudden burst of Henry's voice caught Jack off guard, and before the blonde could grab the kid by his shirt (and restrain him if possible), Henry ran down the small hill. The bright yellow flashlight flickered rapidly as the boy approached the trio. If Jack had any hope they wouldn't see Henry, it was crushed immediately when the heads of Mary Margaret and Emma (who were walking a tad behind the Sheriff) snapped in the boy's direction.

"Henry!" exclaimed the elementary teacher shocked, but she was quickly interrupted by Henry.

"Did you find him yet?"

Seeing as there was no reason to hide anymore – Henry took care of that with upmost fashion – Jack tread forward and also slide down the muddy hill.

"They obviously haven't, Henry," he stated with an eye-roll. "Why else would they still be here?"

Emma watched him with a piercing look. "Jack's right. And you shouldn't be here. Both of you."

"We can help," Henry quickly responded. "We know where he's going."

This made miss Blanchards frown her eyebrows. "And where's that?"

"The troll – uh Toll Bridge," Jack answered, correcting himself midsentence. No need to confuse everyone with using different terminology, although the term 'Troll Bridge' was in essence more accurately.

Henry nodded furiously to support the statement and turned his attention to miss Blanchard in particular. "He's looking for you."

A few seconds none of them spoke, then miss Blanchard shook her head determined. "We don't have time for this, boys. There's a man out there who needs our help. Now is not the time for wild theories."

"But you're the last one he saw," Henry tried again and raised his voice in an attempt to get the grown-ups to listen to his words. "He wants to find _you_."

"Henry," the school teacher sighed. "It's not about me. It just- I think he's lost and confused. He's been in a coma a long time."

"But he LOVES you!" Henry exclaimed desperately. "You need to stop chasing _him_ and let him find _you._ "

This time it was Emma who stepped in to stop the boy's rush of words. "Kid, you need to go home," she said with such a strictness in her voice it made Jack narrow his eyes. "Where's your mom? She's gonna kill me… and then you… and then me again."

"Why would you care?" Jack intercepted slightly mad. "It's not like we're doing anything wrong. We only want to help."

Emma watched him intently. "It's not safe and that goes for both of you. We need to get you back immediately."

"No!" yelled Henry at the same time as Jack commented harshly: "You could at least listen to us!"

Before the two women could reply, however, the inquisitive voice of the Sheriff sounded through the dark, and the tension that followed made the four of them ran a bit farther, till they spotted the familiar figure of the Sheriff, knelt down by a shrub with blood-marked leaves. Stuck in the leaves hung a blue name plate, reading none other than _John Doe_.

"Is that…" started Mary Margaret, but Emma finished her sentences with the one word that crossed everyone's mind: _blood_.

* * *

 **A.**


	11. David Nolan

**Author's note:** _Hello everyone. I'm so terribly sorry for leaving you guys hanging. I've been really busy, but realize this is no valid excuse. Therefore, I hope to upload the next chapter shortly. Luckily I already have a general idea about what's to follow and can't wait for your reactions on chapter 12. Also, thanks again for new followers/fave's or reviews!_

* * *

Chapter 11: David Nolan

Jack had never felt his feet moving this fast. Truth to be told, when met with danger he used to _fly_ himself to safety, but this time around he had no other option than to rely on his own two feet to bring him forward. It didn't help though that the four other searchers were unconsciously instigating each other by yelling panicked concerns and snapping hasty instructions.

Following the tracks of Charming as best as the surrounding dark let them, they soon ended up near the river and the massive structure of the Troll Bridge. Mary Margaret shone her flashlight over the stepping stones in the calm rippling water, creating a gleam of light that was just bright enough to identify any strange objects.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…."

Dropping the flashlight on the ground the teacher rushed forward, not at all minding the water that soaked her boots. Her scream, however, signaled the location of Charming within a second to the others. Graham reached for his portable phone and called for an ambulance, while Emma turned her attention to Jack.

"Stay here with Henry, and don't come any closer," she ordered without any room for discussion. "We've got this."

Jack nodded in silence. He wasn't quite sure how to react to this new development. Though he had met the prince more than once, back in the Enchanted Forrest, he had never really considered the man his friend. But seeing him now, so defenseless, it gnawed in his chest. He could have refuted Emma's tendency to treat him like a child – even though he appeared to be just a teenager, he actually had seen a lot more winters than this woman – but decided against it. Right now, there were other (more important) matters at hand.

Stepping closer to Henry, he hoped to provide some sort of reassurance to the boy, while secretly he longed for the presences of another human-being as well. Watching Mary Margaret, Emma and the Sheriff as they pulled Charming out of the water onto the riverbank, made Jack uncomfortable. The face of the man was pale and he didn't move, appearing to be dead.

"Is he okay?" sounded the panicked voice of Henry. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know."

And it frustrated the teen more than he cared to admit. He sought for his inner ability to observe events impassive, but realized it didn't come to him as easily as he was used to. With a forced blank look, Jack witnessed how Mary Margaret started a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, while Emma ran up to Henry, embracing the younger one in a tight hug (and in doing so, covering his eyes from the event on the riverbank).

Finally a series a coughs indicated the survival of Charming, relieving the spectators from their concerns.

"She did it," Henry whispered in awe. "She woke him up."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, kid, she did."

* * *

"Jack?" with a questioning look over his shoulder Henry addressed his teen-friend.

"Ah, you go on," the winter spirit replied, waving his hand to usher the boy onwards. "I'll wait here. Not too pleased with hospitals."

And with a short nod, he was left alone in the empty white hall of Storybrooke's only hospital. He had spoken the truth though; the disinfected rooms and the clinical smell filling every corner of the building made Jack jittery. Charming was saved, so his job was done. He doubted for a second to leave immediately, but decided to wait a bit longer. Perhaps Henry could give him some details about Charming's current status, once the boy left for home.

Seated on the single bench present, Jack tapped his fingers impatiently against the plastic seat. Not long after, however, the entrance doors swung open. Without holding back a young blonde woman ran passed Jack, her high heels clicking on the stone floor. In the flash of passing, the winter spirit noticed something familiar about the woman, but he wasn't able to identify her correctly. Only after a second figure made herself present, all pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

"Is that..?"

Calm and collected, Regina, mayor of Storybrooke and known as the Evil Queen in the Enchanted Forrest, stepped towards the teen, locking her prying eyes with his.

"Katharine Nolan, wife of David Nolan, or as you may know him: John Doe." Then her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" genuinely surprised Jack raised an eyebrow. "Isn't the better question: what is _she_ doing here?" And he pointed with his finger in the (believed) direction of Katharine Nolan.

"Seeing as you are here and my son is not in the bedroom he is _supposed_ to be in, I take it you had something to do with his insubordination?" Regina countered, completely ignoring Jack's question.

The teen shrugged his shoulders in fake disinterest. "Well, you see, that's a funny story. I-…"

"I'm sick and tired of you influencing my son."

Taken aback by the harshness in the Queen's voice, Jack instantly held his tongue, but could not prevent the daring glare that filled his blue eyes. Who did she think she was?

"I will not let you go near him again. He has enough things to deal with at the moment, and I don't approve of you presence in his life."

"And what makes you think I'll agree to that?" Jack shot back fiercely. "As far as I know, there's no law that forbids me to hang out with whomever I want."

Regina took a few steps in his direction, till she was right in front of the teen. Standing tall before him, while Jack was still seated on the bench, her queen-like features surfaced quickly and a menacing smile curled her lips. "I believe you are underestimating what I'm capable off, young freeloader," she stated in a low penetrating voice. "A school drop-out that uses Granny's Café as a sleeping place – unpaid I may add – and runs into trouble with the town's Sheriff more times than are officially recorded... I wonder what you might do once Mr. Gold decides to fire you."

"He wouldn't do that," Jack replied with a surprisingly amount of confidence in the shop owner.

The mayor folded her arms. "He might not have a choice."

With an icy composure Jack stood. "Are you trying to threaten me, your highness?" The address he used immediately triggered the meant confusion in the Queen's attitude, but Jack wasn't finished. "Could it be you're feeling insecure about something, or – I don't know – someone?"

Regina watched Jack with raised suspicion for a few moments. "What are you getting at?" Her brown eyes narrowed. "Do you know something?"

A smug grin appeared on Jack's face as he repeated the exact words Mr. Gold had spoken to Regina the night Emma entered town. "Whatever do you mean?"

As quick as Regina's confidence fell, she restored it once more, though this time it didn't radiated twice as ominous as before. "I don't have time for your childish games. Stay away from my son and don't underestimate my connections. There _will_ be consequences." She walked past Jack with a brisk move, but stopped before she disappeared around the corner of the hall. Despite his earlier sense of victory the shining gleam in the Queen's look made his calmness waver. "Make no mistake, _Jack_ , for it seems you actions are rather _one-sided_."

* * *

 **A.**


	12. Regression to the mean

**Author's note:** _As promised another chapter. You may notice I skipped episode 4 and 5 of season 1. I figured it would be rather unrealistic if Jack had a hand in all the events taking place in Storybrooke. I might skip more parts in the future, so if there's an episode you really want me to write about, notify me beforehand, please :) The current chapter has another flashback with some hints for futures chapters (but we'll come to that eventually). Let me know what you think!_

 _Also, the title is a reference to MTV's_ Teen Wolf _. Credits and high regards go to the producer Jeff Davis!_

* * *

Chapter 12: Regression to the mean

 _With a soft thud Jack let himself drop from the tree branch he had been sitting on. The white snow under his boots barely cracked under the weight of the teen spirit. Despite making little sound, the travelling person Jack had been spying on, noticed his presence anyway._

" _It's been a long while, laddie," the Dark One, cloaked in a black attire with a thick brown coat to keep the cold from his body, said inviting. "I almost thought you didn't like me anymore."_

 _Jack's cold blue eyes pierced through the being in front of him. "I don't. And I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to Baelfire."_

 _Immediately the smirk on Rumpelstiltskin's face disappeared. He turned to face the winter spirit and took in his appearance. "Those are some harsh words, laddie." The familiar hiss in his voice didn't go unnoticed by Jack. It was the same tune the Dark One used to threaten somebody. But Jack wasn't scared. In fact, it felt strangely comfortable after spending quite a few months away from this man. He sighed and tried to blink the weariness from his eyes. If only things hadn't gone bad for Baelfire, the last few months would have been endurable._

 _Then the older man fumbled in the pocket of his coat, taking out a tiny bottle with some dark purple colored liquid. "Drink this," he practically ordered as he threw the bottle in Jack's direction._

 _It was an easy catch and once the tiny object was put in the safety of Jack's hand, the winter spirit studied it suspicious. "I don't do deals, remember," he replied matter-of-factly._

" _It's an energy potion. It'll drive away the exhaustion from one's body."_

 _For a few moments neither one of them made a move. Rumpelstiltskin held his penetrating dark eyes upon Jack, while the spirit stubbornly refused to drink the purple fluid. Oh, he certainly was attracted by the thought of its magical power, but the events of the past few months withheld him from the usual easygoingness and ease around this man._

" _I don't do deals," Jack finally repeated, breaking the silence that had filled the air. "But I need a job."_

 _Rumpelstiltskin raised an eyebrow upon that comment. "Never expected you to deliberately choose my side. You sure you are well, laddie?"_

 _Closing his eyes for a mere second, Jack sighed. Kicking the soft white snow with his boot, he stalled to answer. Admitting his own flaws was never Jack's strongest quality. "Yeah, that's why I'm here," he ultimately confessed. "I lost balance."_

 _Despite the fact that Rumpelstiltskin's face showed no change or acknowledgement, Jack knew the man understood perfectly well what he meant by those three words. He had explained the balance of being an impartial spirit only once and only to this man. Having the tendencies to side with good, Jack was forced to roam around evil to compensate and regress to the mean. Rumpelstiltskin had provided this contact with evil for Jack by occasionally asking Jack to help him in whatever evil scheme the man was cunning. And to be fair, Jack actually had liked to hang around the intriguing man and sneak around observing the development of the Dark One's plans, but never before had he offered his assistance premeditated. Hadn't the previous month been so wavering, Jack probably never would have either._

" _Let's go home. It's freezing here."_

 _And those words alone were enough for Jack to actually drink the awful tasting purple liquid._

* * *

A constant buss of talking people filled the living room. In honor of the recovering of David Nolan, the townspeople of Storybrooke held a small party. Mainly to celebrate the event, but also in the hope that David would somehow remember his life before the coma, something that currently didn't seem all too likely.

"You know why he doesn't remember?" Henry asked in joyful conspiracy to Emma. "The curse isn't working on him yet."

"Henry…" Emma sighed (clearly having heard this story more than once). "David has _amnesia_."

"Which is preventing the curse from replacing his fairy tale story with fake memories," Henry countered with a lot of conviction.

The three of them were sitting on a small bench in the hallway that separated the living room from the kitchen. Since the rescue of David a lot had happened in Storybrooke. First the events with Ashley, Storybrooke's one and only Cinderella, and afterwards the caving in of the mines underneath the town, which had trapped both Henry and Dr. Hopper. In between Emma had managed to become deputy of the town under the influence of Sheriff Graham. Jack highly suspected Emma's actions were the cause of all strange events, but found it difficult to blame her. After all, the change of things indicated the weakening of the curse.

Jack stifled a yawn and found himself distracted from the conversation between Emma and Henry. He had grown more and more tired over the course of days and an uneasy feeling had crawled under his skin. He sincerely wanted to aid Henry more, planning new steps for operation Cobra, but the weariness of his body made him hesitate. He needed to…

A sudden tap on his shoulder made him look up, staring directly in the brown eyes of Regina.

"I'd like to talk to you for a second," she stated and shot a glance in the direction of Emma and Henry. "If that's alright with your _friends_ of course."

Jack rolled his eyes. There was no need for her to stress her words in such a manner. But lacking a believable excuse, he lifted himself from the bench and followed the Madame Mayor to the kitchen.

"What do you want?" he opened the conversation quite harshly.

Regina raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on his behavior. "I need you to do something for me," she replied instead. "I need you to make David Nolan remember his previous life."

That request only produced more questions for Jack. None of which he could utter directly without raising suspicion. For example _which previous life?_ And _how was he supposed to do that without magic or such?_ Though there was one question that stood above all others.

"Why ask me?"

As soon as the words escaped his lips, he regretted it for the evil smile on Regina's face held nothing good for him. The woman crossed her arms in front of her, making her appearance more mayor-like.

"Because, Jack, you seem to be off balance. You don't actually care who you're helping, now do you? Perhaps than, you would assist me for once."

So she actually became suspicious of him after his little comment at the hospital. With effort Jack withheld a grin from spreading across his face. This could be interesting. Though, priority was to give Regina no hard-made prove of his knowledge of the curse. As long as she remained in doubt, he had the upper hand. There was, however, one painful issue Jack couldn't ignore. He was indeed off balance. How Regina had noticed, was beyond Jack's knowledge, but the fact remained that he was threading on dangerous ice, if he continued to help the Savior.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he eventually answered, judging this to be the most Jack-like response. "What has David's amnesia to do with assisting you for once? Doesn't everybody want his memories to be restored?"

Apparently Regina had expected a comeback like this for she stepped closer and dropped her voice a bit. "Katharine is David's wife. I don't need Ms. Blanchard or anyone else to jog his memories with fake believes. He needs to remember why he is married to Katharine so he won't make any stupid moves. And you, Jack, are going to help me accomplish that. Pretend all you want, but I know what you truly are, kid, and I know you'll help me, whether you want to or not."

 _What you truly are…_ Not who, but what. Though the explanation could suffice in the context of Storybrooke, that one sentence was without a doubt a hint towards his spirit-life. Jack felt himself torn between two sides. Regina's outburst was in essence no more than black-mail, but the teen realized the truth behind her words as well. Curse or no curse, he was a seasonal spirit, who was not allowed to side with either good or bad, which also meant that his actions should not bent too much to either side. Because Rumpelstiltskin was fixed on breaking the curse, just as much as Henry (and to a lesser extend Emma), Jack had no counter-balance for his deeds. The only person who could provide that was Regina. In this particular situation she represented the side of evil more than Rumpelstiltskin did, so if Jack sought to balance his deeds between good and evil, he needed to assist Regina in the same amount as he helped Rumpelstiltskin, Henry and all the other hero-like characters in Storybrooke.

However, Jack was Jack. He wouldn't admit defeat just so easily.

"What? You're gonna make me by using your evil powers?" Jack snorted and stepped back in the direction of the kitchen door. He grew sick and tired of wavering between two sides and wanted nothing more than to get rid of his position as seasonal spirit. "Stop ordering people around by jeopardizing them," he continued in a steady tone. "You could have just asked nicely. Why should I object to retrieving David's memories? He's Katharine's husband right?"

A victorious smile decorated Regina's face as she placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Indeed she is. Let's remind David of such."

* * *

 **A.**


	13. Coffee and aid

**Author's note:** _It's been a long while… I'm truly sorry for taking this long to update. I hope this chapter is worth the wait. Also, if anyone is interested in me continuing with this story, please let me know. If so, I'll try to update sooner._

* * *

Chapter 13 – Coffee and aid

"Jack?"

A tug at his shirt made Jack reluctantly lift his eyelids, meeting the blank expression of Rumpelstiltskin. The winter spirit was seated sideways in, what was probably the most comfortable looking chair in the backroom of the Pawn Shop, leaning over the back side, his head resting on his propped up arms. After his small conversation with Regina, Jack had left the party without further comments, though he earned a glance, of both suspicion and worry, from Henry on his way out. The struggle back to the shop had already slipped from his mind. All Jack remembered was the exhaustion that kicked in the moment he entered the backroom. Not even bothering to head for his own bedroom, he simply had dropped his tired body on the first available chair. Closing his eyes, he had drifted off somewhere between awareness and sleep, until Rumple required his attention.

The first attempt of speech, resulted in a hoarse cough, but a second try at least made some sense.

"'s up?"

A somewhat sympathetic look crossed the shop keeper's eyes.

"Need me to brew you a hot coffee?" Rumple placed his walking stick against the wall and made his way over to the small kitchen area, clearly deciding to make coffee anyway. On his way he flipped on the lights. "Don't worry, I'll give you some for free, since it's a special occasion."

Jack groaned and sent a few angry glares at the light bulb above him, while covering most of its brightness with one hand.

"I- ugh - I'd rather drink that disgusting purple potion again."

"Now that's an interesting request, my lad. I deem to remember your distaste for my brewing," a grin played across the man's lips by the thought of Jack's face that night. "Unfortunately, you'll have to do with something a bit more – how should I say this? – magicless."

Filling the percolator with the right amount of water, the man switched on the device and a burbling sound filled the room. After that Rumple turned on his heels and eyed Jack closely. The teen however had laid his head in his arms again, breathing evenly as he focused on a spot off nothingness in front of him. Apparently conceding in Rumple's choice for a caffeine-rich drink.

"Perhaps it would be wise to-…."

"What special occasion?" interrupted Jack suddenly. As if his mind operated in slow-motion, he just now registered the slightly strange remark of his co-worker.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed and picked up an item from the table between the teen and him. It was a small box with star-like images on the top. He turned the box over in his hand as if to examine the object.

"However discomforting your current appearance may look, it is a clear sign the curse is weakening," the older man elucidated cautious. "It isn't merely your meddling with the Savior that caused you to loose balance, it's the success of those action in reducing the power of the curse over this town." He settled down the box and moved around the table towards the chair opposite of Jack. "Therefore, in a way, I should thank you for your assistance."

Jack shook his head in his arms, which he soon found out, wasn't the brightest move for his head felt heavy and dizzy. "Don't thank me," he corrected curt. "I didn't do it for you."

"Ah, yes, well, I do welcome your unintended co-operation," chuckled Rumple with a quick move of his veiny fingers.

Despite the fact that he should have expected this dark magician to react in such a way, Jack couldn't help but mumble sarcastically that he was _glad at least someone enjoyed his misery._ His words however brought a change in Rumpelstiltskin's appearance. Instead of gloating, the man put on a serious face.

"And here I thought you were an exception among the villagers in judging me, Jack. Don't tell me their childish superstition caught up to you?"

"Well, I _am_ a child," Jack muttered wearily. "Now shut up…" Completely drained the teen closed his eyes. This was wrong. In his conversation with Regina he held on to the belief that his balance wasn't thát disrupted, but now that he barely had the energy to stay awake, he had to admit the opposite. In his entire life – which was not to be taken lightly – he only felt this _sick_ twice. Once when Baelfire had vanished into thin air by the hand of Rumpelstiltskin and the other time was when he… _No, stop. Don't go there._ Maybe it was this town? Up till now Jack never really bothered about the absence of magic in this town, but the recent events made him realize the full extent of the curse. Not only the common magic like Rumpelstiltskin's and Regina's was gone, but the curse also weakened his powers as a seasonal spirit. Obviously, he had known about his inability to create snow and the like, but just now he understood it also had effect on his inner balance. Being off balance in Storybrooke weighted more on him than it did back in the Enchanted Forrest.

"...-ack… Jack?"

Rumpelstiltskin shook his shoulder in order to get the attention of the teen. In his hand he held a mug containing hot coffee, which he offered to his younger housemate, after he made him sit up a bit straighter. "Drink this," he more or less ordered, but Jack was not coherent enough to comment on his speaking tone. Crouching down in front of the winter spirit, he tried to make contact with the empty blue eyes. "Regina offered you a job, right? What did she want?"

The hot liquid gliding down his throat burned, though Jack couldn't care less. The warmth felt strangely relaxing. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and took another sip. "She wanted me to make Charming remember his fake life with Princes Abigail – uh, now Katharine Nolan."

Rumple nodded deliberate. "In essence, David has amnesia because the curse hasn't taken full effect on him yet," the Dark One elaborated cunning. "Due to his comatose state, he never received his share of fake memories. Turning things around shouldn't be too hard. The curse might be weakening, but is by no far broken – as you might feel right now. All you have to do is trigger his previously memories of Katharine. The curse will fill in the fake memories for you."

"But how'm I supposed to do that?" Jack countered as he stifled a yawn.

A self-praising smirk crossed the older man's face. "How about using that," and he pointed to a decoration wind-mill on the table. It represented the windmill David grew up with, the same house he left to marry Abigail.

Jack absorbed the garden decoration with astonishment. "How did you…" He shook his head. "No, you already knew this would happen." Despite his lack of energy, he sent an angry glare in the direction of the Dark One. "Why? Why would you help me – or Regina for that matter?"

"First of all, I did not know it would happen, I only guessed," as if to defend himself, the man held up his hand, though the ever present smirk told a different story. "Secondly, I have my reasons. No need to get into detail about that. You just drink that coffee."

Without another word the shop keeper disappeared through the curtains that separated the back room from the shop, leaving Jack alone with his mug of hot energizer. Tired and warm.

* * *

 **A.**


End file.
